1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable anchoring devices and, more specifically, to a portable anchoring devices for gazebos, freestanding tents and any other suitable freestanding tent like structures. The present invention is a portable anchoring device having selective filling means. The portable anchoring device consists of a receiving sleeve element, a base support element, a filling chamber, a filling cap with filling orifice, an emptying cap with emptying orifice, and a retaining ring. The receiving sleeve is a cylindrical elongated tube having a circle shaped receiving aperture that extends to both distal ends. The receiving sleeve houses the filling chamber, filling cap, and the bungee loop. The receiving sleeve provides the means for the portable anchoring device to secure a tent pole or gazebo leg therein via the receiving aperture. The filling chamber provides the means for which said portable anchoring device may add more stability to its anchoring function. The filling chamber is a cylindrically shaped hollow structure that is encased in the receiving sleeve that is able to retain ballast substances or materials in order to add weight to its entity. The filling chamber is encompassed by both the receiving sleeve and the base support element. The filling cap provides the means for which the filling chamber of said portable anchoring device may be filled via the filling orifice. The emptying cap provides the means by which the filling chamber of said anchoring device may be emptied via the emptying orifice. The filling cap is located at the zenith end while the emptying cap is located at the base end of said portable anchoring device. The retaining ring is located at the distal end of the receiving sleeve that is opposite the filling cap, and provides said portable anchoring device with the means for securing a plurality of portable anchoring devices to each other. The retaining ring also provides the means for securing a tent pole or gazebo leg to said portable anchoring device. The base support element is composed of two semi-circle shaped units that provide said portable anchoring device with its foundation and anchorage support. The base support element also houses the emptying cap with emptying orifice and a portion of the filling chamber. Also the base support element provides said portable anchoring device with stability with the filling chamber filled or empty.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other portable anchoring devices designed for anchoring, and laying support for freestanding items. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,107 issued to Hickey on Nov. 13, 1979.
Another patent was issued to Kitson on Mar. 10, 1987 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,482. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,893 was issued to Furey on May 15, 1990 and still yet another was issued on Sep. 8, 1992 to Glynn as U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,153.
Another patent was issued to Peters on Feb. 23, 1993 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,314. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,612 was issued to Matherne et al. on Nov. 9, 1993. Another was issued to Riffle et al. on Sep. 26, 1995 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,877 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 27, 1995 to Urgola as U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,346. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,896 was issued to Cassidy on Jan. 14, 1997.
A tennis practice device which uses a hollow container which may be fill with sand or water as an anchor for a tennis ball attached to the lid of the container by means of an elongated elastic line. The line is attached to the tennis ball by means of a nylon adapter line, which is threaded through the ball and tied in a loop. The elastic line is attached to the lid by means of a swivel hook. The device provides a completely portable tennis practice apparatus which may be filled with a weighty material during use and which serves as a storage container for the tennis ball and lines when it is not in use.
The present invention relates to a ladder anchor for stabilizing a ladder while in use. The ladder anchor comprises a hollow member having at least a wedge shaped front portion provided with a closable orifice for filling the member with ballast or discharging ballast therefrom, the member having a ground engaging surface and top surface, the top surface having therein at least one recess for receiving one or each of the longitudinal struts of a ladder and providing a foot receiving surface between the recess or recesses and the base of the member. Preferably, the member can be filled with water as the ballast.
A beach umbrella anchoring system comprises as anchor member comprising a container, in the form of a beach bag, for containing a weighting medium, such as sand, and a connector for connecting the container to a beach umbrella restraining device; and a beach umbrella restraining device comprising of a flexible cable member, a releasable connector fixed to one end of the cable for releasably connecting the cable to a beach umbrella, a second releasable connector, fixed to the other end of the cable, for releasably connecting the cable member to the connector of the anchor member, and a third releasable connector, slidingly attached to the cable member intermediate the ends thereof for releasably attaching the cable member to the beach umbrella The anchoring system may be supplied in the form of a kit comprising the anchoring member (beach bag) the restraining device and a sand shovel for filling the container member with sand. The provision of the container member in the form of a beach bag allows the system to be readily carried to the beach along with other paraphernalia. The system serves to anchor beach umbrellas against being overturned and flailing about in sudden or unexpected gusts of wind.
A modular portable handrail system employs cantilever arm/counter-weight anchor assemblies. Bases attach to opposing ends of the cantilever arms. A pail-like receptacle is receivable on one of the bases and interlockable with the base. The receptacle is filled with water, sand, or other material to provide the counter-weight mass.
The subject device is a balloon weight and holding device having and storing a balloon tether means and adapted to be attached to a balloon and functioning to prevent a balloon filled with a lighter-than-air gas from rising above a given tethered length, such devices comprising in general a spool member having a central cylindrical shaft flanked on each end by opposing circular plate members, each such plate having a circumferential rim. The spool member has the balloon tether wrapped around it to be unraveled at will. Integrally disposed between the inner face of such circular plate members are integrally affixed means to retard the process of unraveling of the balloon string so that the balloon string and thus the balloon do not become beyond the control of the person holding the balloon. An additional function of the subject device is such that if the balloon escapes the clutches of the holder, the balloon weight device will function as an anchor hold-down in order to prevent the balloon rising uncontrollably into the atmosphere.
A portable water-filled device for supporting a basketball system including a base configured to hold a ballast material for supporting the basketball system in a substantially rigid position during use of the system to play the game of basketball. A pole is pivotally mounted to the base such that the pole may move between a generally vertical position and a tilted position with the base configured with a beveled hole for restraining the pole from pivotal movement substantially beyond the tilted position. A contractible sleeve is utilized to pivotally attach support arms to the pole. The sleeve includes an adjustment wheel for securing the sleeve to the pole and a bubble level for vertically positioning the pole. The base is configured with an orifice through which water my be inserted into the base. A plug for closing the orifice includes an anchor for loosely connecting the plug to the base when the plug is disengaged from the orifice.
A beach umbrella anchor bag is filled with a loose weighted material (i.e., sand or the like) and secured about the shaft of a beach umbrella to secure the umbrella in place against movement due to wind or other causes. The bag includes a relatively small bottom opening, allowing the shaft to be passed therethrough to penetrate the underlying surface for greater security. The bottom opening may be closed with a flap secured there over, so the bag may be used for the carriage of other articles when not anchoring an umbrella or the like. The upper portion of the bag includes umbrella shaft attachment panels therein, which secure to the umbrella shaft to prevent relative movement therebetween, and the top opening of the bag includes a draw string to secure the mouth of the bag around the shaft to prevent spillage of material from the bag. The attachment panels may comprise hook and loop fastening material such as Velcro ((trademark)), and cooperating flaps are provided within the bag to seal the inner panels against the intrusion of foreign matter when they are not secured to the umbrella shaft, and to preclude their attachment to articles carried in the bag. The bag may be formed of any suitable sheet of flexible material, such as Nylon ((trademark)) taffeta or other suitable durable material.
A carrying case and anchoring system for a beach umbrella and its support shaft is disclosed comprising in combination:
(1) Container means consisting of top, bottom and side member wherein the top and bottom member are operationally connected at one edge by hinge means to allow pivoting of the member about the axis of the hinge means whereby the container is opened and closed; wherein the top, bottom and side member define a hollow cavity when the carrying case is closed of sufficient size to receive a beach umbrella, its support shaft and a weighting system for anchoring the container means, umbrella and support shaft; the top and bottom members being further characterized by possessing a plurality of paired openings situated through the bottom members wherein the openings of each pair are in direct opposition to one another such that when the carrying case is closed, the opening in the top member is juxtaposed upon the opening in the bottom member, thereby forming a channel through which the umbrella support shaft may be inserted;
(2) Locking means to secure the umbrella support shaft to the container means when it is closed and the support shaft is situated within the channel formed by the paired openings in the top and bottom members; and,
(3) Weighting means which is placed within the container means hollow cavity to anchor the container means, beach umbrella and support shaft from wind forces.
In one embodiment, there are a plurality of openings, one pair forming a channel perpendicular to the top and bottom members of the container means, while another pair form a channel which is at an acute angle to the top and bottom members, thereby permitting the umbrella to adopt a variety of positions relative to the sun. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the locking means are contained within a hollow cylindrical sleeve which is inserted into the channel formed by the paired openings, the sleeve being flanged at one end to rest on the beach sand and open at the other end. The sleeve protrudes above the surface of the top member of the container means when it is closed. The umbrella support shaft is placed into the sleeve and locked into position by way of the locking means.
An assembleable anchor-type landscaping device which is lightweight, durable, and capable of being moved and shipped with minimal expense. The anchor device comprises a detachable connected ring, a hollow shank which is formed in multiple portions which are removably connected, a hollow removable stock, hollow and removable arms, and detachable fluke members (optionally hollow). The anchor may be variably filled with a ballast material to achieve appropriate landscaping weight.
While these portable anchoring devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
The present invention discloses a portable anchoring device having a receiving sleeve which is a cylindrical elongated tube having a throughbore therein. The receiving sleeve houses a filling chamber, filling cap, and the securing ring. The filling chamber provides the means by which the portable anchoring device may add more stability to its anchoring function and is equipped with an inlet cap and an outlet cap. The retaining ring is located at the base end of the receiving sleeve and provides the portable anchoring device with the means for securing a plurality of portable anchoring devices to each other. The retaining ring also provides the means for securing a tent pole or gazebo leg to the portable anchoring device. The base support element is composed of two, semi-circle shaped units that provide the portable anchoring device with its foundation and anchorage support. The base support element also houses the emptying cap with emptying orifice and a portion of the filling chamber. Also the base support element provides the portable anchoring device with stability when the filling chamber is filled or empty.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a portable anchoring having selective filling means.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a portable anchoring devices for gazebos, free standing tents and any other suitable freestanding tent like structures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable anchoring devices that may be utilized on a plurality of surfaces.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable anchoring devices that may need no anchoring cables or devices like such, in order to be deemed anchored.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable anchoring devices that is highly mobile.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable anchoring devices that may be filled with a ballast material for more stability.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable anchoring devices that may be one molded piece with all its part therein.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.